Canadian time trial champion Lyne Bessette (Team Canada) of Knowlton, Quebec won the prologue of the Grand Prix Feminin International du Canada on Wednesday, taking the Leader's Jersey. Bessette finished the 1.1 kilometre circuit in 1 minute and 28 seconds, one second in front of American Tina Mayolo-Pic, with Germany's Judith Arndt third, at same time.

The GP Feminin is one of the largest internationally sanctioned women's stage races in Canada, attracting a field of 64 riders from 13 countries. The field includes three former world champions, and is being used by many countries as final preparation for the world championships, which will take place in Hamilton, Ontario October 6-12.

Bessette, who is still recovering from a broken collarbone she suffered less than a month ago at a race in Germany, was pleased and surprised with her win.

"No, I wasn't expecting this at all. I came here to get ready for the Worlds, and I am surprised at how good I feel after not racing for three and a half weeks. The break healed way faster than I thought it could, so I am feeling much better about my conditioning. This race is going to be good for me - I need hard racing to finish my preparation, so we will work hard to defend the jersey."